‘Mastermind’ holds on

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 25

‘Mastermind’ holds on

Patrick Bowles, defending his “Mastermind” title, demolished the opposition last night on TVI In so doing, he walked off with a set of books to replace those he had to leave behind when he came to New Zealand four years ago.

Mr Bowles, a 64-year-old retired civil servant, who now lives at Upper Hutt, scored with the specialist topic that won him the first "Mastermind” series — seventeenth and eighteenth-century classical music.

But it was his wide general knowledge outside his own field that carried Mr Bowles to an 18-point vicotry. The runner-up, Cliff Turner, a Hamilton engineer, scored 16, with the English monarchy after 1066 as his speciality. Oliver Riddell, Wellington reporter of “The Press,” and an expert on Anglo-Australian test criA n g 1 o-Australian test

cricket of the last century, was third with nine points. Tony Abraham, a retired farmer, from Taupo, rounded out the finalists with eight points, scored largely on his knowledge of New Zealand trees. For Mr Bctwles it was third time lucky. In 1960,

he was judged "Brain of Britain’’ in a similarly cerebral 8.8. C. radio quiz. “I bought a few new records this past year, but otherwise did not ‘train’ to defend my ‘Mastermind’ title,” said Mr Bowles after facing the rigorous quizmaster, Peter Sinclair. But he did keep “In shape” through the year by taking part in Radio New Zealand quizzes. Otherwise, he performed with the Upper Hutt Choral Society. Mr Bowles’s only concession to sentimentality in last night’s final was to wear the same navy vlue tie with the Hertford Col-

lege, Oxford, crest that he had on a year ago.

He came down from Oxford in 1935, with an M.A. in English. Before the Second World War, he owned a boys’ preparatory school in West London.

During the war, he was in the London Fire Serv» ice. Afterwards, he joined the Civil Service and eventually became district commissioner for national savings in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.

One of his sons settled in New Zealand in 1959, to work with the Forest Service. When Mr Bowles and his wife, Aileen, emigrated 14 years later, one of his biggest regrets was having to leave behind his fourteenth edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last night, by successfully defending his “Mastermind” of New Zealand title. Mr Bowles won a set of the new fifteenth edition.

Next year, says the producer, Richard Finney, the show will go on and Mr Bowles will once again be taking on all comers.

By

ROBIN TURKEL